Individual pin spotter for bowling alleys



Jan. 3, 1961 c. SARDELLA 2,967,055

INDIVIDUAL PIN SPOTTER FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed Dec. 19, 1958 III\IIIIIIIIII ii I IIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIl f-T INVENTOR.

CARL SARDELLA BY 7 .2 q J MCI ATTORNEY United States Patent INDIVIDUALPIN SPOTTER FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Carl Sardella, 3932 Eve Drive, Seaford,N.Y.

Filed Dec. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 781,547

Claims. (Cl. 273-44) This invention relates to pin positioning apparatusfor bowling alleys and more particularly to apparatus for use in bowlingpractice whereby a practicing bowler can bowl repeatedly at anindividual pin or pins which can be automatically positioned at anydesired pin loc4tion.

With the advent of automatic pin setting apparatus for bowling alleysmaking the pin setting area virtually inac-essible for a manual pinsetting, it his become impractical in most cases for bowlers to practicebowling shots in which they aim repeatedly at a particular pin.PI'CVlOLSlY, it was common for experienced bowlers to practice with theaid of a pin boy who would replace a p rticular strategic pin at whichthe bowler would aim his shots. Little effort and time were consumedbecause the pin boy had simply to set up one pin, thereby eithersimulating a condition encountered in bowling matches in which thebowler failed to achieve a strike or enabling the bowler to perfect adesired roll path without the expense and effort of a complete pin setup. While it is possible in some cases to utilize complete, automaticpin setting mechanisms to set individual pins, the automatic apparatusmust go the complete and relatively more costly motions attendant acomplete set up procedure.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to providesimplified apparatus for spotting one or more pins individually atdesired locations in the pin layout for facilitating bowling practice inan automatic alley without requiring a pin boy.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby a bowlermay automatically set a practice pin at any desired location by remotecontrol.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for supportingan individual pin at any desired pin location for practice purposeswithin a relatively brief time interval so that a bowler can achieve alarge number of practice shots at an individual pin without requiringthe 1 relatively complex cycling of a complete automatic pin settingapparatus.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a captured pinassembly for practice bowling.

Still another object of the invention is to provide bowling practiceapparatus for supporting individual pins for repeated practice shots,which can be readily integrated with existing automatic pin settingequipment, despite the limited head room available for auxiliaryapparatus, and which can be quickly and easily mounted in position onany given bowling alley without structural modification to the permanentmechanism, but which is able to make use of the ball returning featureof automatic equipment.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus forenabling bowling alley operators to derive revenue from their alleysduring off-hours and off-seasons by facilitating practice sessionswithout need for disturbing or removing existing automatic pin settingequipment.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a frameassembly including peripheral hanger elements for supporting the frameimmediately beneath the frame of existing automatic pin settingequipment in a bowling alley. The frame takes the general triangularconfiguration of the ten pin setup and surmounts the pin setting areawith sufficient clearance to allow pins to be disposed therebeneath. Theframe includes supporting means for carrying an individual practice pinsupported from above, preferably by pre-stressed spring means so thatthe pin, when struck by the bowling ball, will quickly reassume itssupported position as determined by its supporting point in the frameassembly. In one preferred arrangement of the invention, the individualpin support is movable so that it can be automatically spotted at anydesired pin loc'ation point. cludes a movable support which is driven bya remotely controlled motor to traverse the pin spots. The movablesupport can take the form of a flexible, endless belt or chain fromwhich a practice pin is hung and which is supported in a triangulartrack, the back or transverse limb of which includes a forward jogbetween the eight and nine pin spots to transverse the five pin spot. Aseries of spaced actuators on the movable support successively engage acontrol station interposed in the path of travel to stop the drivemechanism at the successive pin spots.

The above and other features and objects of the preferred embodiments ofthe invention are described below having reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view looking downwardly on apparatus for spotting apractice bowling pin at any desired pin location.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section taken substantially on the line22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the control circuit for automaticallysetting the pin at any desired pin spot.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, theinvention is illustrated as embodied in a practice pin spotting assemblyincluding a generally triangular frame 10, the dimensions of which areslightly larger than the standard ten pin setup of bowling pins. Theframe 10 carries a plurality of at least three hangers 11, best seen inFigures 1 and 3, including inturned hooks 11a on their upper endsadapted to hook overthe peripheral flange F of the existing pin settingmachine. Thumb screws 12 on the threaded shanks of the hangers 11 enablethe assembly to be drawn up tightly against the frame of the pin settingapparatus. The frame assembly 10 is thereby slung beneath the existingpin setting apparatus in the relatively limited head space above thealley A (Figure 3).

The frame 10, in the illustrated arrangement of the invention, includesupper and lower plate members 13 and 14 clamped together by bolts 15across a central core portion 16 preferably formed of an easily workedmaterial such as laminated Bakelite. 16 and the lower plate 14 areformed with endless slots or channels 17 and 18 respectively whichdefine an endless track of generally triangular form, the shape of whichis best seen in Figure 1. The channel 17 includes inwardly extendingshoulders 17a and 17b (Figure 3) which define slides for receiving aflexible carrier member in the form of a link chain 19, the side orflange members of which embrace the shoulders 17a and 1712. At the threeapices of the frame assembly 10, there are mounted guide rollers orsprockets 20, 21 and 22 about which the carrier member 19 passes. Theback or transverse limb of the triangular track, between the eight andnine pin locations, jogs inwardly in a small triangular configuration topass over the five pin location, the carrier member 19 To this end theassembly in- The central core passing over a drive sprocket 23 at theforward apex. As best seen in Figure 2, the drive sprocket 23 is affixedto a shaft 24 journaled in the upper and lower plate members 13 and 14.The shaft 23 also has attached thereto a drive pulley 25 coupled by aflexible belt 26 to the output pulley 27 of an electric motor 28, whichis bolted to the upper plate member 13.

The carrier member 19 includes at equally spaced points along itslength, upwardly extending fingers 29-1, 29-2, 29-3 29-10 which in theillustrated arrangement comprise extensions of the couplings of thearticulated chain. As viewed in Figure 1, the ten upwardly extendingfingers 29-1 29-10 are disposed for convenience of illustration, in theten pin locations, numbered sequentially, of the conventional bowlingpin setup. The upwardly extending fingers 29-1 29-10 comprise actuatingmeans for successively de-energizing the motor 23, as will be describedbelow. To this end, there is provided a control switch 30 having anelongated actuator 3 3a interposed in the path of travel of the carriermember 19 so that the contacts 301) (Figure 4) of the switch 3i}, whichare normally closed, will be opened with the arrival of each actuatingfinger. The motor 28 is adapted to be started from a remote point, i.e.the point at which the bowler stands, by means of a momentary pushswitch 31 having normally open contacts 31a. Thus both of the switches31 are connected in parallel and in series with energizing circuit forthe motor 28, energized from a suitable source of electrical energyconnected across the terminals 32.

At one point along the length of the carrier member 19, there is mounteda practice bowling pin 33 which is afiixed to the carrier by adownwardly extending member 34 through a prestressed spring 35 attachedto the member 34 at a coupling member 34a and attached to the pin 33through a coupling member 3312. The pin 33 is preferably lighter than aconventional bowling pin, and in a preferred embodiment takes the formof a hollow rubber shell. The resilience in the suspension systemincluding the prestressed spring 35 and the rubber forming the walls ofthe bowling pin 33 enables it to be driven out of the path of travel ofan approaching ball, the pin assuming its normal position quickly afterthe ball passes.

in operation the bowler at the head end of the alley actuates themomentary push switch 31 to energize the motor 28 to set the carriermember 19 into motion to move the practice bowling pin 33 to a desiredpin station. The pin will sequentially traverse all of the pin locationsand will come to rest at a particular pin location when the switch 31 isreleased to open its contacts 31a. The contacts 301) of the controlswitch 30 will be automatically opened as the practice pin reaches eachsuccessive station and, if the momentary manual control switch 31 hasbeen reieased, will cause the motor 28 to stop. The bowler then proceedsto practice his bowling shots by bowling at the pre-positioned practicepin, which as described above, yields when hit, but quickly returns toits upright position. The automatic ball return mechanism, which is partof all automatic pin setting machinery, is utilized to return the ball.Any number of practice shots may be taken at any of the ten pinpositions.

While the invention has been described above having reference to apreferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it can takeother forms and arrangements. Thus, for example, less than ten pinlocations can be provided by correspondingly reducing the drive or pintrack. Also, movable positioning abutment can be used in conjunctionwith the switch 30 to arrest the movement of the carrier member 19 at aprecise point.

Preferably the abutment is integrated with the switch ac tuator 30 toestablish a fixed stopping point which is released at the time thesystem is next actuated to move the practice pin to the next station.Various other modifications and arrangements will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art and the invention should nottherefore be regarded as limited except as defined in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for facilitating bowling practice comprising a supportingframe, means to mount the frame adjacent the pin area of the bowlingalley, a pin assembly including a practice bowling pin supported by theframe for translational movement about the pin locations of the alley,drive means for the pin assembly, and control means to actuate the drivemeans to move the pin assembly to desired pin spots.

2. Apparatus for facilitating bowling practice comprising a frame, meansto attach the frame to an external support to hold the frame above thepin area of a bowling alley, a carrier member on the frame selectivelymovable over the pin locations disposed therebeneath, a pin supportingmember attached to the carrier member and movable therewith, and apractice bowling pin permanently attached to the supporting member.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said pin and pin supporting memberbeing resiliently yieldable under the impact of a bowling ball to returnthe pin to its initial position after the ball passes.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, said supporting member including aprestressed helical spring.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including drive means to move saidcarrier member, and remotely located control means for said drive meansto position the practice pin at any one of a plurality of pin spots ofthe bowling alley.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, said drive means comprising anelectric motor, said remotely located control means including a firstswitch adjacent the bowling end of the alley to selectively energize themotor to displace in translation the carrier member and practice pincarried thereby, second switch means to de-energize the motor, andactuating means movable with the carrier member to actuate the secondswitch as the practice pin reaches successive pin spots on the bowlingalley.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said frame including a generallytriangularly shaped track having one apex disposed adjacent the numberone pin spot of the bowling alley and its other apices disposedrespectively adjacent the seven and ten pin spots, said carrier membercomprising an endless flexible member movably supported in thetriangular track, and drive means for the carrier member.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, said track includ ing a forwardjog in the rear transverse limb of the track to dispose the carriermember and the practice pin over the number five pin spot.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, said carrier member including achain having a succession of articulated side plates and central rollersjournalled therein, said track including support surfaces for the sideplates of the chain, said practice bowling pin being hung from thechain.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, said drive means comprising anelectric motor, switch means on the frame adjacent the track, and spacedapart actuators on the carrier member to operate the switch means tode-energizethe motor as the bowling pin reaches successive pin locationson the bowling alley.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS CohnJan. 1,1957

